Pittsburgh, Westmoreland and Somerset Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburgh, Westmoreland, & Somerset Railroad (PW&S) was a short-lived railroad that connected the Pennsylvania communities of Ligonier
and Somerset
, running over a mountain known as Laurel Hill or Laurel Mountain.
On occasion the railroad’s name was spelled as the Pittsburg, Westmoreland, & Somerset, using the older spelling of Pittsburgh without the h. Although Pittsburgh
is in the railroad’s name, it never served that city. The word Westmoreland refers to Westmoreland County
, where the town of Ligonier is located.
The railroad’s sole tunnel was the Quemahoning Tunnel
, also known as the Lumber Railroad Tunnel, which had originally been built for the South Pennsylvania Railroad
but had not been previously used.
Although the Pennsylvania Railroad
did not control the PW&S, the Pennsylvania Railroad provided construction materials. The Pennsylvania Railroad regarded the PW&S as a feeder which would compete for customers against the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which had viewed Somerset County as a captive customer base. However, the operational difficulties of running trains over the steep gradients of Laurel Hill prevented the PW&S from being truly competitive against the Baltimore & Ohio.
The PW&S had a very short life. Although trains began operating on the western segment near Ligonier in 1899, the complete Ligonier-Somerset route operated for only ten years (1906–1916).
Andrew W. Mellon
and Richard B. Mellon
, whose family founded the Pittsburgh-based Mellon Bank, were instrumental in the funding of the P&WS. The Mellons also owned the Ligonier Valley Railroad
, which linked the P&WS to the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad
. Also important in the railroad’s founding were Charles Nelson Byers and Lauros H. Allen, whose Byers-Allen Lumber Company owned much of the land traversed by the railroad.
The railroad served the Ligonier-Somerset route for only ten years. Both passenger and freight services ended on September 23, 1916.
Ligonier, Pennsylvania
Ligonier is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2000 census. Ligonier was settled in the 1760s. The borough is well known for nearby Idlewild Park, one of the oldest amusement parks in the country, and nearby Seven Springs Mountain Resort...
and Somerset
Somerset, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,762 people, 3,035 households, and 1,717 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,466.0 people per square mile . There were 3,313 housing units at an average density of 1,208.2 per square mile...
, running over a mountain known as Laurel Hill or Laurel Mountain.
On occasion the railroad’s name was spelled as the Pittsburg, Westmoreland, & Somerset, using the older spelling of Pittsburgh without the h. Although Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
is in the railroad’s name, it never served that city. The word Westmoreland refers to Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
, where the town of Ligonier is located.
The railroad’s sole tunnel was the Quemahoning Tunnel
Quemahoning Tunnel
The Quemahoning Tunnel is a tunnel that was constructed by the New York Central Railroad for use on the stillborn South Pennsylvania Railroad. The tunnel is located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania near the 106.3 milemarker of the Pennsylvania Turnpike....
, also known as the Lumber Railroad Tunnel, which had originally been built for the South Pennsylvania Railroad
South Pennsylvania Railroad
The South Pennsylvania Railroad is the name given to two proposed but never completed Pennsylvania railroads in the nineteenth-century. Parts of the right of way for the second South Pennsylvania Railroad were reused for the Pennsylvania Turnpike....
but had not been previously used.
Although the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
did not control the PW&S, the Pennsylvania Railroad provided construction materials. The Pennsylvania Railroad regarded the PW&S as a feeder which would compete for customers against the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which had viewed Somerset County as a captive customer base. However, the operational difficulties of running trains over the steep gradients of Laurel Hill prevented the PW&S from being truly competitive against the Baltimore & Ohio.
The PW&S had a very short life. Although trains began operating on the western segment near Ligonier in 1899, the complete Ligonier-Somerset route operated for only ten years (1906–1916).
History
Construction of the railroad actually began before it was chartered. Construction began at the western end on June 14, 1899 and it was chartered on July 20, 1899. On October 11, 1899, the right-of-way had been graded as far as Laurel Summit. Construction on the eastern segment of the railroad proceeded slowly, and it was not until May 26, 1906, that the first train traveled from Ligonier to Somerset. For passenger trains, the eastbound journey was scheduled to take 90 minutes, averaging 17 miles per hour (27.4 km/h) including stops. The westbound journey took ten minutes longer due to arduous uphill gradients, averaging 15 miles per hour (24.1 km/h) including stops. There were two passenger trains per day in each direction.Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew William Mellon was an American banker, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector and Secretary of the Treasury from March 4, 1921 until February 12, 1932.-Early life:...
and Richard B. Mellon
Richard B. Mellon
Richard Beatty Mellon , sometimes R.B., was a banker, industrialist, and philanthropist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
, whose family founded the Pittsburgh-based Mellon Bank, were instrumental in the funding of the P&WS. The Mellons also owned the Ligonier Valley Railroad
Ligonier Valley Railroad
The Ligonier Valley Railroad connected the communities of Latrobe and Ligonier, Pennsylvania, approximately apart, between 1877 and 1952. For much of its length, the railroad ran parallel to Loyalhanna Creek in a scenic mountain gorge...
, which linked the P&WS to the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. Also important in the railroad’s founding were Charles Nelson Byers and Lauros H. Allen, whose Byers-Allen Lumber Company owned much of the land traversed by the railroad.
The railroad served the Ligonier-Somerset route for only ten years. Both passenger and freight services ended on September 23, 1916.
Route and Stations
Stations are listed from west to east. Distances shown are from Ligonier:- LigonierLigonier, PennsylvaniaLigonier is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2000 census. Ligonier was settled in the 1760s. The borough is well known for nearby Idlewild Park, one of the oldest amusement parks in the country, and nearby Seven Springs Mountain Resort...
(0 mile (0 km)) was the western terminus of the railroad, where it connected with the Ligonier Valley RailroadLigonier Valley RailroadThe Ligonier Valley Railroad connected the communities of Latrobe and Ligonier, Pennsylvania, approximately apart, between 1877 and 1952. For much of its length, the railroad ran parallel to Loyalhanna Creek in a scenic mountain gorge...
and thence to the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
main line. Running southeasternly from Ligonier, the PW&S followed Loyalhanna CreekLoyalhanna CreekLoyalhanna Creek is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The stream is a popular destination for canoeing and recreational trout fishing.- Etymology :...
.
- Market Street was shown in the 1906 timetable but not the 1916 timetable. This would have been located where the current U.S. Route 30 crosses Ligonier’s Market Street.
- Mellon’s Crossing was shown in the 1906 timetable but not the 1916 timetable. It would have been located at the northern edge of the current-day Rolling Rock Racecourse.
- Speedwell would have been located at the southern edge of the current-day Rolling Rock Racecourse. This station was named after the Speedwell Carding Mill, an early textile mill. The textile mill still stands, although now used for other purposes by Rolling Rock Club.
- Byers (5.02 miles (8.1 km)), also known as Mechanicsburg, is now known as Rector. The community had been named for Charles Nelson Byers, co-founder of the Byers-Allen Lumber Company, which had been instrumental in creating the PW&S. After this station, the railroad began to climb the west face of Laurel Hill, and its right-of-way is now used by Linn Run Road. The railroad ran through land that today comprises Linn Run State ParkLinn Run State ParkLinn Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Cook and Ligonier Townships, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park borders Forbes State Forest. Two smaller streams, Grove Run and Rock Run, join in Linn Run State Park to form Linn Run which has a waterfall, Adams...
.
- Grove Run was shown in the 1906 timetable but not the 1916 timetable.
- Bluestone (10.03 miles (16.1 km). Using current-day points of reference, this is where Linn Run Road intersects the eastern boundary of Linn Run State ParkLinn Run State ParkLinn Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Cook and Ligonier Townships, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park borders Forbes State Forest. Two smaller streams, Grove Run and Rock Run, join in Linn Run State Park to form Linn Run which has a waterfall, Adams...
. BluestoneBluestoneBluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
refers to a type of rock that was quarried in the area. There is nothing remaining to suggest a settlement had ever been here. At this point, the right-of-way enters Forbes State ForestForbes State ForestForbes State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #4. The main offices are located in Laughlintown in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Mount Davis, the highest peak in Pennsylvania, is located in the forest.The forest was named...
.
- Water Station was shown in the 1906 timetable but not the 1916 timetable.
- Laurel Summit (13.04 miles (21 km)) is in current-day Laurel Summit State ParkLaurel Summit State ParkLaurel Summit State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Cook Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is also a picnic area with a scenic view of Linn Run on the summit of Laurel Mountain. The temperatures at Laurel Summit State Park are generally several degrees...
. The railroad built a pavilion here for summer dances. At this point, there was a southward spur to the community of Kuhn, built in 1908 and owned by Blair Lumber Company. Immediately to the east of Laurel Summit, the right-of-way passes from Westmoreland County into Somerset County, and runs down the east face of Laurel Hill. The segment between Laurel Summit and Allenvale constituted the steepest segment of the route. There were emergency turn-offs for runaway trains, and the default position of the switch was to keep it turned to the emergency runaway track. Therefore a train would have had to make numerous stops while a crew member disembarked, turned the switch toward the main line, and then reverted the switch toward the runaway track after the train had passed.
- Zufall was shown in the 1906 timetable but not the 1916 timetable. At this point, assuming one is travelling eastward, the PW&S begins to use the trackbed that had been constructed for the South Pennsylvania RailroadSouth Pennsylvania RailroadThe South Pennsylvania Railroad is the name given to two proposed but never completed Pennsylvania railroads in the nineteenth-century. Parts of the right of way for the second South Pennsylvania Railroad were reused for the Pennsylvania Turnpike....
for the next (4.85 miles (7.8 km)).
- Gillette was shown in the 1906 timetable but not the 1916 timetable.
- Allenvale (19.04 miles (30.6 km)). East of Allenvale is the 2000 foot (0.6096 km) Gasteiger Cut and the 700 foot (0.21336 km) Quemahoning TunnelQuemahoning TunnelThe Quemahoning Tunnel is a tunnel that was constructed by the New York Central Railroad for use on the stillborn South Pennsylvania Railroad. The tunnel is located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania near the 106.3 milemarker of the Pennsylvania Turnpike....
, both of which had initially been constructed for the South Pennsylvania RailroadSouth Pennsylvania RailroadThe South Pennsylvania Railroad is the name given to two proposed but never completed Pennsylvania railroads in the nineteenth-century. Parts of the right of way for the second South Pennsylvania Railroad were reused for the Pennsylvania Turnpike....
.
- Husband (23.01 miles (37 km)) was another P&WS station along the South Pennsylvania RailroadSouth Pennsylvania RailroadThe South Pennsylvania Railroad is the name given to two proposed but never completed Pennsylvania railroads in the nineteenth-century. Parts of the right of way for the second South Pennsylvania Railroad were reused for the Pennsylvania Turnpike....
right-of-way, named for Herman HusbandHerman HusbandHerman Husband , also known as Harmon Husband, was a farmer, radical, pamphleteer, and preacher. He was born in Cecil County, Maryland and raised as an Anglican...
who was the first non-aboriginal settler of Somerset and instrumental in the formation of Somerset County.
- SomersetSomerset, Pennsylvania-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,762 people, 3,035 households, and 1,717 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,466.0 people per square mile . There were 3,313 housing units at an average density of 1,208.2 per square mile...
(25.06 miles (40.3 km)) was the eastern terminus of the railroad, with a connection to the Baltimore and Ohio RailroadBaltimore and Ohio RailroadThe Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
.
See also
- Ligonier, PennsylvaniaLigonier, PennsylvaniaLigonier is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2000 census. Ligonier was settled in the 1760s. The borough is well known for nearby Idlewild Park, one of the oldest amusement parks in the country, and nearby Seven Springs Mountain Resort...
- Ligonier Valley RailroadLigonier Valley RailroadThe Ligonier Valley Railroad connected the communities of Latrobe and Ligonier, Pennsylvania, approximately apart, between 1877 and 1952. For much of its length, the railroad ran parallel to Loyalhanna Creek in a scenic mountain gorge...
- South Pennsylvania RailroadSouth Pennsylvania RailroadThe South Pennsylvania Railroad is the name given to two proposed but never completed Pennsylvania railroads in the nineteenth-century. Parts of the right of way for the second South Pennsylvania Railroad were reused for the Pennsylvania Turnpike....
- Somerset, PennsylvaniaSomerset, Pennsylvania-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,762 people, 3,035 households, and 1,717 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,466.0 people per square mile . There were 3,313 housing units at an average density of 1,208.2 per square mile...